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15 Green Cars


13 Aug 2007
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The greenest way to get around? On your own two feet, of course, or on a bicycle, unicycle, skateboard, or public transit. But if you still find yourself in need of a car, these are some of the best green options on the market. If we zoomed right past your favorite eco-friendly auto, tell us in the comments section at the bottom of the page.

1
Toyota Prius
Courtesy of Toyota via Wieck
Toyota Prius
The best-selling Prius is synonymous with "hybrid" in many minds, and with good reason. More than 750,000 have been sold worldwide, and it's the greenest mainstream car on the U.S. market in 2007, topped only by the natural-gas-powered Honda Civic GX in the authoritative Green Book survey. The Prius, which can travel short distances on its electric motor alone, gets 48 miles per gallon in the city and 45 on the highway, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's new rating system (which gives lower but more accurate estimates than the old system). It's also earned high ratings from California's demanding emissions regulators. The instantly recognizable Prius starts at $22,175. If you have to get in line for one, it'll be worth the wait.
 
2
Civic Hybrid
Courtesy of Honda
Honda Civic Hybrid
This green Civic is another leading hybrid in the U.S., with many of the same features as the Prius -- just not quite as many of them. The $22,600 Civic also operates somewhat differently from the Prius: the electric motor very rarely takes a solo turn, but rather is there to provide a boost to the 1.3-liter, four-cylinder engine. Its 40/45 mpg fuel economy, boosted by a continuously variable transmission, is commendable, as are its low emissions. Some consumers are disappointed that this hybrid looks like a conventional Civic, as people who own hybrids tend to want to flaunt their green values.
 
3
C1
Courtesy of Citroën
Peugeot 107, Citroën C1, and Toyota Aygo
In a feat of automotive cooperation, PSA Peugeot Citroën and Toyota built three different branded versions of the same efficient city car at a jointly owned factory they opened in the Czech Republic in 2005. Available on the European market, the three models -- which differ only in name, price, interior trim fabric, and exterior detailing -- boast fuel economy of 61.4 mpg for the gasoline-engine option. These compact four-seaters, available with either a gasoline or a diesel engine, are considered a competitor to the Smart car. Rumor has it that Toyota will introduce a version of the Aygo in the U.S. in 2008.
 
4
Tesla Roadster
Tesla Roadster
This sleek electric sports car was unveiled in mid-2006, and its initial run of 100 cars sold out in three weeks. At a base price of $98,000, the high-end, lithium-battery-powered vehicle is only within reach of the rich, but its creators -- including PayPal co-founder Elon Musk -- plan to make an electric sedan that will sell for $50,000 to $65,000 within a few years, and a still cheaper model down the line. Meanwhile, the rest of us can only dream of sitting behind the wheel of the Roadster, which zooms from 0 to 60 in four seconds, boasts a top speed of 135, and has a range of more than 200 miles per charge. Named for inventor and electrical engineer Nikola Tesla, the car runs on a motor with one moving part, compared to the roughly 100 moving parts in a regular four-cylinder engine.
 
5
Renault Eco2
Photo: TvR
Renault eco2
Renault's "eco2" label, introduced in May, assures customers that each vehicle bearing it has met several environmental standards: it does not exceed 140 g/km of carbon emissions and/or is biofuel compatible; it is 95 percent reusable by weight when it goes to the great garage in the sky; it contains at least 5 percent recycled plastics; and it was produced in a factory that continually strives to improve environmental performance. New vehicles in the eco2 line include a flex-fuel version of the Mégane, which will be Renault's first vehicle in Europe capable of running on E85 ethanol, and the Clio, a popular subcompact. The eco2 initiative is part of the Renault Commitment 2009, in which the company pledges to curb its impacts on the planet and research alternative-fuel vehicles. All this at an affordable price? C'est bon.
 
6
REVA G-Wiz
Photo: Richard Seymour
REVA G-Wiz
The teensy G-Wiz is a hit with British motorists who appreciate not only the electric car's lack of emissions, but its exemption from London's congestion charge and parking fees. Technically classified as a "quadricycle" in the U.K. and Europe, the vehicle -- known in other countries simply as the REVA -- is manufactured by a U.S.-Indian joint venture. It debuted in 2001, and there are now more than 2,000 on the road all over the world, with more than 800 of those in London. While the current model runs on a lead-acid battery, the manufacturer expects to upgrade to a lithium-ion battery in late 2007 or early 2008; it will charge more quickly, last longer, offer greater range, and better withstand temperature changes. Some officials have expressed concerns about the car's safety, but supporters maintain that when the G-Wiz is driven at low speeds as intended, it is no less safe than any other car.
 
7
Smart ForTwo
Photo: the LOCAL
Smart Fortwo
A European standby, the Smart Fortwo has been rumored to be coming to America for a while now, but attempts to import it have been slowed by required safety and emissions upgrades. Still, three different two-seater models should be available in the U.S. next year, and 13,000 American drivers have paid a $99 deposit to reserve theirs. With a three-cylinder gasoline engine that gets 40-plus miles to the gallon and a top speed of 90 miles an hour, the DaimlerChrysler creation is a reasonable eco-option. And it's a cinch to park: at 8.8 feet long, it's three-quarters the size of a MINI Cooper. On top of that, a production process that ranges from installing recyclable dashboards to powder-coating exteriors (instead of using water-intensive, solvent-emitting paint) means this car leans green from start to finish.
8
Obvio! 828
Courtesy of Obvio!
Obvio! 828
What is this cute three-seater? It's Obvio! The teeny-tiny car -- it's mini-er than the MINI Cooper by nearly two feet -- is a "trybrid," able to run on any combination of gasoline, ethanol, or compressed natural gas. It has fuel economy of 29 mpg in the city and 40 on the highway, and also comes in an electric version with a range of up to 240 miles per charge. Made in Brazil, the Obvio! 828 is aimed at the hipster crowd, with its bright green and orange paint job, trendy flip-flops glued to the brake and gas pedals, and ability of the electric version to go from 0 to 60 in about 4.5 seconds. The manufacturers are also getting in on another hip trend, contributing a portion of each car's purchase price to offset its carbon footprint. The Obvio! will be distributed in the U.S. by small, eco-friendly importer ZAP at a price of $14,000 for the trybrid model and $49,000 for the electric version. With 50,000 set to hit U.S. shores in 2008, it's, like, totally obvio that this "pocket rocket" will be going far.
 
9
Toyota Camry Hybrid
Courtesy of Toyota via Wieck
Toyota Camry Hybrid
Like the Prius, the new Camry hybrid actually runs wholly on its batteries at low speeds. Under the hood, its 2.4-liter, four-cylinder engine uses the Atkinson cycle for greater fuel efficiency. Add together the 147-horsepower gasoline engine and the 45-horsepower electric motor, and you've got a car that's faster and bigger than the Prius and boasts a not-too-shabby 33/34 mpg. Like the Prius, the Camry is a relative bargain at $26,200, nearly $5,000 less than the competition, the performance-oriented Honda Accord Hybrid.
 
10
Nissan Altima Hybrid
Courtesy of Nissan
Nissan Altima Hybrid
This exemplary hybrid sedan is available only in California and a number of Northeastern U.S. states that have signed on to California's stringent emission standards. It's a mystery why Nissan doesn't sell it everywhere, since reviewers who've been able to get behind the wheel have good things to say. Using technology purchased from Toyota, the Altima hybrid couples an electric motor with a 2.5-liter, 158-horsepower gasoline engine and a continuously variable transmission. It has the acceleration of a V-6 (eight seconds to 60 mph), 35/33 mpg fuel economy, and a 700-mile range. Nissan's reluctance to dive into the market headfirst may have to do with CEO Carlos Ghosn, who said of hybrids in 2005, "They make a nice story, but they're not a good business story yet because the value is lower than their costs."
 
11
Honda Civic GX
Courtesy of Honda
Honda Civic GX
The Civic GX, which runs on compressed natural gas, has been called the cleanest internal-combustion vehicle on earth by the U.S. EPA and won top honors in the Green Book rankings. Initially sold for commercial fleets, the Civic can now be purchased by individuals and refueled at home with a special appliance called Phill that connects to a gas line. Armed with slightly less horsepower than the regular Civic -- and a smaller trunk due to the bigger gas tank -- the GX isn't perfection on wheels, but it's not a bad start. On sale in California and New York, it also comes equipped with a handy federal tax credit.
 
12
Zap Xebra
Courtesy of Zap World
ZAP Xebra
It might not be the most powerful vehicle out there, or the most practical, but the ZAP Xebra gets points for style. The three-wheeled electric sedan -- with its optional zebra-stripe paint job -- averages about 25 miles per charge, and can hit a top speed of 40 miles per hour. A viable freeway option it ain't, but you can't beat the $10,000 price for getting around town without spewing a stew of emissions. The Xebra produces 98 percent fewer emissions than a gasoline car, even counting the power-plant emissions needed to produce the juice that runs it, according to ZAP, which plants trees for each Xebra sold.
 
13
Honda Fit
Courtesy of Honda
Honda Fit/Jazz
The tiny Fit looks novel to Americans, but as the Jazz it is well established in the Asian and European markets. Its upright, wheels-at-the-corners design looks like a Scion that somehow avoided the shotgun marriage with an SUV. Don't expect barrels of torque or high-end acceleration, but with its low emissions and respectable fuel economy -- 28 mpg in the city, 34 on the highway -- the Fit is well worth considering. The $13,850 Fit can carry five adults and a modest amount of luggage: the 60/40-split rear seats fold flat, and the fronts fold, too, resulting in a fairly cramped and lumpy but serviceable makeshift bed.
 
14
Mazda MX5 Miata
Courtesy of Mazda via Wieck
Mazda MX-5 Miata
This whimsical sports car may seem like an odd choice for green warrior status, but consider that the venerable Miata gets 22 mpg in the city and 27 on the highway while keeping its air-polluting emissions relatively low. It scores high in the Green Book rankings, tying with the Toyota Highlander Hybrid on its overall green score. The two-liter, four-cylinder engine is a little rocket, docked only for requiring premium unleaded fuel. Think of the $21,180 Miata as the little car that could, almost single-handedly reviving the concept of the buzzy two-seater roadster. Another plus: there are owners' clubs virtually everywhere, even in Singapore.
 
15
Biodiesel cars
Any diesel car can be made greener if you fill it up with biodiesel fuel. Refined biodiesel works in newer diesels without any vehicle modifications. And with a kit from companies like Greasecar, any diesel car can be adapted to burn 100 percent vegetable oil, which can be sourced and filtered from restaurants for a wholly recycled fuel. The resulting "grease" offers improved emissions and the chance to thumb your nose at fossil fuels; one study by the U.S. Department of Agriculture concluded that biodiesel made from soy produces 78 percent less carbon dioxide pollution than standard diesel. In 2006, 250 million gallons of biodiesel were sold in the U.S., but the widespread use of biodiesel is considered unlikely due to the limits of agricultural infrastructure. The National Biodiesel Board predicts that biofuels could displace only about 10 to 15 percent of current fossil-fuel use.
 

Four Green Concept Cars


Call these hot rods for a hot planet. These high-concept, high-efficiency cars aren't on sale to the masses yet, but they're something to look forward to down the road.

GM Volt
Courtesy of GM via Wieck
Chevy Volt
The ultra-sleek Volt promises to be a wholly new form of hybrid. GM has been showing off the concept car at auto shows, touting its theoretical capacity to get the equivalent of 100-plus miles per gallon and travel up to 640 miles on one tank of gas. Known as a "series" hybrid, its one-liter, turbo-charged gasoline engine is there just to keep the lithium-ion batteries charged and extend the car's range. However, there are currently no available lithium-ion battery packs capable of delivering the performance GM engineers need, so don't expect to see the Volt in showrooms before the end of the decade.

Ford Edge HySeries
Courtesy of Ford via Wieck
Ford HySeries Edge
It looks like a gas-guzzling SUV, but instead of a whompin' V-8 under its hood, the HySeries Edge offers a zero emissions fuel-cell/electric-motor drivetrain. Bristling with new technology, this concept vehicle is built around a 336-volt lithium-ion battery pack. Fully charged, the batteries can carry the vehicle 25 miles, but the range is extended another 200 miles by an onboard fuel cell that kicks in when the batteries are 40 percent depleted. Ideally, if you run out of hydrogen you can simply recharge the batteries by plugging into the wall. There's something of a modular concept here, because the fuel cell could be replaced by a small engine; in that case, it would be the conventional plug-in hybrid everyone's talking about.

Honda FCX
Courtesy of Honda
Honda FCX
The FCX, a fuel-cell concept car, is a hydrogen-powered zero-emissions vehicle with technology befitting a Back to the Future script -- a fuel-cell stack, ultra-capacitor, and high-pressure hydrogen fuel tanks. The cars are prohibitively expensive to produce and thus unavailable to the masses for the time being, but, for purposes of publicity and testing, Honda has leased out a handful in Southern California and plans to make more available in 2008.

Tango T600
Photo: Steve Egan
Tango T600
George Clooney was an early adopter, but the rest of us will have to wait for our Tangos. The startup that makes the tiny electric car is currently producing a batch of just 10 of the T600s, which will sell at the movie-star price of $108,000. The tandem two-seater is narrower than some motorcycles; as a result, say its ambitious creators, it is "doubling freeways" and "quadrupling parking." The Tango is aimed at commuters, with conventional lead-acid batteries providing a relatively modest 80-mile range. (A longer range would be possible with higher-tech batteries, and the car can also be built with an internal combustion or fuel-cell engine.) Two more models, the T200 (expected to cost $39,900) and T100 ($18,700), are still on the drawing board, but you can put down a deposit to reserve yours today.


What's your favorite green set of wheels? Tell us below in comments.

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Comments: (26 comments)

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I expect the next list will be . . .

I expect the next list will be something like 15 green personal jets, or 15 green oil spills, or maybe even 15 green oil wars.

Cars are pointless.

Basically

I'll stick to walking and biking. If I need a power vehicle, I'll use public transportation, car sharing, or car pooling. However, praise over punishment. If they must drive...if they THINK they must drive, these are the best options.

The real greenest car

Check out the HumanCar.

That HumanCar looks like fun

Sure will cut down on solo car trips

In the end, it all comes down to biodiversity. Poison Darts--Protecting the biodiversity of our world
green cars

The greenest car (yes, I know that's an oxymoron) is one that already exists. Very few new "green" cars will, over the course of their lifetimes, save the energy that went into creating them. We should use up what we have instead of making new stuff all the time.

"Use it up, wear it out, make it do, do without."
"Green" car list: A bad idea

Last week the Norwegian government banned the use of words like "green" and "environment" when advertising cars.  I would suggest that Grist refrain from ever using the words "green" and "car" in the same sentence again.

Where is relevant data?

This seems to be the 15 cars PERCEIVED to be the greenest.

Where is the data that makes this sort of list worth reading: How much pollution is created when making the cars + using the cars + disposing the cars?

My currently favorite "green" car: The one I have and plan to keep for quite a while longer: Saturn station wagon, 191000 miles right now, 38-40 mpg (if I drive it).

My next "green" car will be another regular car, maybe a diesel. Small, efficient, simple.

If you really want to pollute less you need to change habits. Walk, bike, or do not go there.

The ULTIMATE "green" car is not a car but an attitude.

Karsten PolluteLessDotCom

green cars

Makes me realize how great my Honda Civic is!  
I have just moved back to a small town where walking is convenient.  But when I do need to drive, my Civic gets better millage than all but the top cars on your list, and was reasonably priced.  The Civic also has a long history of reliability and I can expect many years of use before having to replace.
I do hope that one day there will be electric, or solar powered cars; til then, why change?

green cars

Disappointed that my VERY green car didn't make it - my Honda Insight. But maybe that's because it isn't really mainstream and now Honda has even discontinued it.  But hey - 60 mpg on its lifetime!! All the statistics you had make me wonder what I'm going to do for my next car. It's all a comedown.

air power

All this new excitement about hibrid electrics is fine but I think a "greener" (sorry Lloyd)  option is the compressed air option. You could set up an underground (in wells) storage in your home and use wind power and solar thermal engines to compress air.
Your vehicle will not only not polute but actually filter the air surrounding you, plus all the airconditioning you could ever need as a by-product. Any assistance of an internal combustion engine is more efficient because the heat produced by it is used for a better expantion of the compressed air.
There is one being produced in Europe but I would change the piston engine for turbines on each wheel or vane engines/compressors.

Twy a TWIKE

They're pretty cool- venerable triwheel, dual-seat shelled recumbent bikes with electric assist, regenerative brakes, the whole deal.  Kind of expensive but quite wonderful.  

I saw my first Twike on a Europe bike trip through Switzerland 10 years ago, watched it accelerate silently and smoothly into traffic and head for the Autobahn on-ramp traveling from Schafausen to Zurich.  

Stephen Brown (Sharon, PA)

Air Car?

These people have been teasing us for years. Where is it?

http://www.theaircar.com/models.html

Green Car List

I agree that walking, biking, and public transportation are much greener than these and any allegedly eco-friendly automobiles out there. However, there is a significant percentage of people who are not willing or able to give up their love of the car, as it is important for them to get to work, etc. For those people, usually suburbanites like myself, a "green" car, preferably used though that would be difficult to find, may be a better option than giving up completely and continuing to use that hummer or gas guzzling SUV. Unfortunately, many people still cite safety as the reason they drive SUVS, something many people consider much more important than the environment.

Reuse Me: The R3ice Plan (http://reuseme.co.nr)
air car

I've flown model airplanes with compressed air motors and believe me they can put out quite a bit of power, with a hand pump, not even 40 PSI. The motor is so simple its almost ridiculous. The piston (plastic) is not connected to the piston rod (plastic), the inlet valve is a metal ball with a spring and the top of the piston pushes it open. It's all transparent plastic. I know it's just a toy (model airplane enthusiasts dont like you to call them toys but for the purpose of this blog..)
As for the Air Car, I think they should take an aproach like Tesla Motors did, go for high performance to catch peoples attention.

Ecological Footprint

Taking into consideration the amount of resouces consumed by buying/ using an automobile, it is more preferable not to buy/ use a vehicle for private use.

Readers are invited to check their ecological footprint by visiting this page:

http://www.myfootprint.org

Prius mileage and carbon footprint

I drive a 2005 Prius and get an average mileage of 61 mpg in summer in New England, combined highway and town driving.  I drive slow (speed limit or less), accelerate gradually, to keep the electric motor running optimally.
I would like to hear more about the Prius vs. Hummer footprint comparison that seems to have made a large impact on public opinion, presenting hybrids as more damaging than guzzlers.  Could Grist investigate this further? Thanks.

diesel hybrids

What's up with the lack of diesel electric hybrids?  Diesels are more fuel efficient than gas engines, so why not use them in hybrids?  I know diesel only cleaned up its act this year (and, by the way, all that extra sulfur from the Ultra-Low Sulfur diesel is just getting pumped into home heating oil - we couldn't actually expect the poor oil refineries to find a clean way to expose of it, could we?), but why not at least in Europe?  I hear Peugeot's got one in the works (the 308), but what's holding everyone back?  I remember even Dodge had a diesel electric concept car in the mid '90s.

Hummer versus hybrid on Grist

http://gristmill.grist.org/story/2007/8/27/124134/961

Love It Or Leave It


Why don't you Gristers just pack your bags, get your Eurorail pass and leave already?   You can't find a single good small American car?

The Chevy Aveo gets 38 mph and it's here, right now

http://www.chevrolet.com/aveo/

Cool, one good small American car!

Of course it was designed in Italy and is manufactured in Korea. But it must be good - it is the best-selling Chevrolet in Europe.

http://www.conceptcarz.com/vehicle/z10234/Chevrolet_Aveo/ ...

And I am sure glad that the critics who speak here also live here in the land of (unfortunately) unlimited opportunities where the change needs to happen.

Karsten PolluteLessDotCom

Show Leadership by Cycling and Using Transit

The only thing that this type of list does is promote the myth that people can keep on driving everywhere.

With 6 billion and counting people on the planet, we are all in serious trouble if everyone drove as much as North Americans. The car companies are tripping over themselves to produce $2,500 cars for people in China and India. Even if these things are very fuel efficient, the shear number of them will dwarf any gains in fuel efficiency by so called "green cars' over here. Just the production of these cars will greatly increase GHG emissions.

We must show leadership by proving that people in the so called "developed world" can live great lives by not driving.

The other issue is that increased fuel efficiency reduces the cost of driving encouraging people to drive more thus partially negating the improvement in fuel efficiency and increasing congestion.

Lets spend our limited resources improving transit and cycling facilities instead of wasting money on hybrids, hydrogen fuel cells and highways.

Thanks.

Thanks for the list. My wife and I will probably enter the car market next year and we want to make sure all our options are open to us including used but efficient vehicles and the hybrid market.

While I walk as much as possible, public transit doesn't really exist in my area. The scheduling and costs make it an near impossible option. I can walk three miles to the store and get home before the bus would be able to pick me up, travel to the other side of town, make me get on a transfer and then go to the whole foods store. We only have one but it takes 4 buses and 3 hours to get there. Not to mention the fact that there is no way my wife can take public transportation or carpool to work. Not everyone is so lucky. If she could, then we would take advantage of it since we only own one car. So as much as we would like to, we can't get rid of the car. Another car would have been nice since my son missed the bus today and therefore did not go to school. There is simply no other way to get him there.

So yes, while they have problems and are expensive not everyone can just chuck them out of their lives.

Green Transportation

The City of Madison, Wisconsin (a city with a well established eco-friendly culture) announced their purchase of five hybrid electric busses.  The busses will go into service in a few weeks, and the city will monitor their success to determine future purchases.  

Each bus will have a new hybrid battery on the roof, and operate around the University of Wisconsin campus and other routes within the city.  The busses are expected to help reduce noise, lower maintainence costs, and lower emissions.  They will also have quicker acceleration and improved braking.

With walking and biking on one end, and cars on the other (hybrid or not) - there now seems to be a new, more efficient means of green transportation available somewhere in between.

Note: As always, Madison Metro busses will include bike racks on the front.  After all, biking is Madison's preferred way to travel!

Tom Farley Director of Marketing Greater Madison Convention & Visitors Bureau Madison, Wisconsin

green cars

Although they have stopped production, it is still hard to beat a Honda Insight for performance and gas mileage. With over 130,000 miles on mine, it's lifetime average is 50.6 miles per gallon. Honda just recently extended the battery pack warranty and the dealer installed a new pack for free after 120,000 miles and six years of service! Apparently market studies showed that a two-seater economy car was not popular with Americans because they like to put  a lot of people in a car. Maybe they meant Central and South Americans? I still see tons of big cars with one person in 'em.

cycling and using transit

Well said.

Put TDIs on the darn list!

In my 2004 VW Jetta TDI turbodiesel station wagon, burning 20% biodiesel, I'm getting better than 50 mpg in routine urban/suburban driving. Someone driving the same vehicle with a more conventional driving style would get 44-45 mpg. For the life of me, I cannot figure out Grist and others are praising similarly sized hybrid sedans that get only 35 mpg. Maybe the list is based on EPA mileage estimates, which disregard the fact that diesel engines, unlike "gassers," get progressively more efficient over the course of their first 100,000 miles?

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